The Transition from a Personal Dictatorship: Democratization and the Legacy of the Past in Malawi Please do not cite this pre-final version The final version was published as a book chapter in: Shadrack Wanjala Nasong’o, ed . The African Search for Stable Forms of Statehood: Essays in Political Criticism Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2008, pp. 187-227. Stephen Brown Associate Professor School of Political Studies University of Ottawa
[email protected] In the early 1990s, numerous African dictatorships relatively rapidly and rather unexpectedly liberalized politically. The degrees to which they democratized—and speed at which they did so—varied greatly. The new forms of governance also differed significantly from country to country, as do their prospects. To a certain extent, the variations can be ascribed to decisions of key players at specific moments in time, often in bargaining with other actors. Analyses of transitions based primarily on such voluntaristic factors, such as O’Donnell and Schmitter (1986), tend to minimize the effects of the past. Others, such as Bratton and van de Walle (1994), see clear patterns in how certain types of neopatrimonial regimes in Africa democratize, placing greater emphasis on institutional history. This chapter examines the democratization process in Malawi, using Bratton and van de Walle’s finding as a framework to analyze Malawi’s post- authoritarian governance and prospects for further democratization. Personal Dictatorship as Analytical Category Hastings Kamuzu Banda rule Malawi from independence in 1964 until 1994 through a highly arbitrary and personalized system. “Life President” Banda was the supreme authority; his word had the force of law and was ruthlessly enforced.